Literary notes about Dexterity (AI summary)
The term "dexterity" has been used in literature to denote a wide range of skills—from the physical to the intellectual. Early explorers used it to describe the agile and almost effortless movements of animals in nature ([1], [2]), while later writers expanded its meaning to include manual precision, as in the admiring accounts of swift knife work or delicate manipulation of objects ([3], [4]). In addition to physical adeptness, authors like Emily Post and Walter Scott employed the word to refer to refined social skills and the intelligent handling of complex situations ([5], [6], [7]), and even to the artistry of music or painting ([8], [9]). Moreover, historical narratives and political satires often allude to dexterity as a metaphor for adaptability and shrewd maneuvering, whether in combat or in the realm of public affairs ([10], [11], [12]). Overall, literary usage fashions "dexterity" as a multifaceted concept that embodies both bodily agility and the elegance of mental and social acuity.
- they burrow in the hard grounds of the plains with surprising ease and dexterity an will cover themselves in the ground in a very few minutes.
— from The Journals of Lewis and Clark, 1804-1806 by William Clark and Meriwether Lewis - they burrow in the hard Grounds in the Plains with Surprising ease and dexterity and will cover themselves in the Ground in a very fiew minits.
— from The Journals of Lewis and Clark, 1804-1806 by William Clark and Meriwether Lewis - My remedy was, to cut them in pieces with my knife, as they flew in the air, wherein my dexterity was much admired.
— from Gulliver's Travels into Several Remote Regions of the World by Jonathan Swift - which they held in their hand Changeing it from one hand to the other with great dexterity.
— from The Journals of Lewis and Clark, 1804-1806 by William Clark and Meriwether Lewis - Forks Or Fingers All juicy or "gooey" fruits or cakes are best eaten with a fork, but in most cases it is a matter of dexterity.
— from Etiquette by Emily Post - “Friend Wamba,” said he, “of all those who are fools enough to serve Cedric, thou alone hast dexterity enough to make thy folly acceptable to him.
— from Ivanhoe: A Romance by Walter Scott - But do you not admire, I said, the coolness and dexterity of these ready ministers of political corruption?
— from The Republic by Plato - Her voice was enchantingly sweet, and she touched the lute with the most ravishing dexterity.
— from The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom — Complete by T. Smollett - This painting is not so much carried on by dexterity of hand as by having the object more vividly imprinted in the soul.
— from Essays of Michel de Montaigne — Complete by Michel de Montaigne - Look attentively at the duels and the hand-to-hand combats, how superior the Italians are in strength, dexterity, and subtlety.
— from The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli - In ancient times, bodily strength and dexterity, being of greater USE and importance in war, was also much more esteemed and valued, than at present.
— from An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals by David Hume - He bestows panegyric with inimitable grace, and satirises with equal dexterity.
— from The Lives of the Twelve Caesars, Complete by Suetonius